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The Damongo senior High School ( DASS) in the West Gonja municipality of the Savannah Region has on Saturday, 27th November, 2021, climaxed it’s Golden jubilee anniversary celebrations under the theme; “50 years of academic excellence, celebrating the past and igniting our future in a challenging environment”.
In a welcome address, the headmistress of the school, Madam Mercy Ewuntomah Aluba recounted that on November 22nd, 1971, the school was established with Mr. Y. Baba as the acting headmaster and Mr. Mahama Salia Limaantomah as acting senior housemaster with a student population of 68 comprising of 67 boys and one (1) girl but later handed over to Mr. Abu Juan who became the substantive headmaster of the school who inaugurated the first management committee of the the school on 5th July, 1972.
“With the introduction of the model Senior high school concept by the kuffour led NPP government in 2004, Damongo senior high school recorded a massive boost in physical infrastructure which includes, the administration block, sick bay, science laboratory, library, girls dormitory, boys dormitory, teachers plat among others” Madam Aluba said.
The headmistress further explained that, the water situation of the school is a long – standing problem and that despite the numerous efforts by the school management, old students, Non-governmental organisations and the government, the problem still lingers on which makes students move to town to join long queues in search of water at the expense of their studies.
She added that, the school has over the years contributed significantly to the human resource basket of the nation as many of its old students have served in several capacities in the country.
In the area of academic performance, Madam Mercy explained that, a three – year ( 2018 – 2020) National WASSCE results ranking table for Savannah region shows that, the school is doing good as compared to its counterparts in the region and can boast of an enviable level of discipline over the past decades with no record of student riots or agitations but lamented on a major area of concern that needs to be addressed which is the movement of students to town in search for water and the late reporting to school by students during reopening.
She added that, despite the challenging environment in which they find themselves, the staff and students of Damongo senior high school remain resolute and committed to working hard to uplift it’s image and fortunes and also ensure that they improve on the schools poor academic performance in the WASSCE which is the yardstick for qualifying final year students into tertiary institutions in the country.
Mr Abudu Kapori, Secretary to the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs, speaking at the grand durber of the anniversary on behalf of the Special Guest of Honour Buipewura Jinapor II, said he was overwhelmed to hear that Damongo senior high school which started with pioneering students of 68, today has a student population of 2,006.
He explained that, Damongo Senior high school in 50 years has produced renowned educationists, lawyers, impactful politicians, Surveyors, Agriculturalists, engineers, Justices, Journalists, Medical Doctors, Administrators and currently having about 52 of it’s old students being Coordinating Directors out of the 216 MMDAs in the country as well as PhD holders in the likes of Dr. Ahmed Jinapor, Dr. Clifford Braimah, Dr. Soale Buah among others.
HRM Buipewura Jinapor II remindered the old students of the School’s motto ” knowledge and service” as they continue to serve mother Ghana as that will lead them to do more in the socio-economic development of mother Ghana.
The paramount chief of the Buipe Traditional area again explained that, in as much as they want high performance of the school, it is also important that the take cognizance of infrastructure and the socio – cultural development of the school into perspective and therefore calling on philanthropists, corporate institutions and individuals who have DASS at heart to effectively collaborate to bring the needed development to DASS.
The President of the Old Students Association, Alhaji Shaibu Adam opined that, indeed half a century of motherhood is not only a golden age, but a great turning point every individual or entity must celebrate.
Alhaji Adam indicated that in 1971 when Dass was given birth to in Damongo, a town without electricity and other basic arminities such as water and road, one would have thought that this school wont able to get on it’s feet to produce great sons and daughters that they are seeing today in all spheres of our national life, imbued with the spirit of excellence and prepared to serve their nation.
He noted that, Dass can today boast of her offsprings in senior management positions in both public, private, civil, commerce and in the political landscape of Ghana but lamented on the recent falling standards of the academic excellence of the school to the point that, the school has to be downgraded from category A school to category C, school.
Alhaji Shaibu Adam added that the Alumnae of the school are not sleeping on the challenges of the school and over the years intervened at individual levels in several ways to help solve some of the problems facing mother DASS.
He disclosed that, the old students Association will be putting up a fence wall to help protect the land of the school and also to curbe indiscipline on the part of students and therefore calling on government, more especially GETFund to come to their aid because the project is going to be a huge burden on the aluminae.
He also indicated that, as part of transitioning into digital age, the alumnae in collaboration with an NGO will commission two computer laboratories with 42 computers and accessories including two internet servers for internet connectivity.
The 50th anniversary celebrations started from 22nd November, 2021, with lots of activities and was climaxed on Saturday, 27th November, 2021, under the chairmanship of Naa T. A. Mahama and present at the anniversary celebrations include; the MP for Damongo and Minister for Lands and Nutural Resources ( Hon. Abu Jinapor), Savannah Regional Minister ( Hon. Saed Muazu), members of CHASS, old students of DASS including former MP for Damongo( Hon. Garlus) , former MP for Daboya( Lawyer Obey), former Northern regional minister( Alhaji Muniru), MP for Bole /Bamboi( Alhajie Sulemana, the Bishop for Damongo Diocese( Most Rev. Peter Paul , headmasters from various SHS and many others.
Source: padfm.com.gh / Kumatey Gorden
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